Liverpool crashed to a shock 3-0 defeat at West Brom in Brendan Rodgers’ first Premier League match as Reds boss, while Arsenal started life without Robin van Persie with a dour 0-0 draw against Sunderland yesterday.

Rodgers took over from Kenny Dalglish after Liverpool finished eighth last season, their worst final position for 18 years, and on the evidence of a shocking result at the Hawthorns the former Swansea manager still has plenty of work to do.

Rodgers, who gave debuts to new signings Joe Allen and Fabio Borini and left unsettled striker Andy Carroll on the bench, might have feared the worst when he saw Zoltan Gera blast Albion into the lead with a stunning 43rd-minute strike.

It was a sweet moment for Albion manager Steve Clarke, who was sacked by Liverpool at the end of last season after spending 18 months at Anfield as Dalglish’s assistant.

Pepe Reina kept Liverpool in the match when he saved Shane Long’s woeful second-half penalty after Reds defender Daniel Agger was sent off for a professional foul.

But Albion won another penalty in the 64th minute and this time Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie stepped up to blast home.

And Romelu Lukaku, on loan from Chelsea, rubbed salt into Liverpool’s wounds when he marked his West Brom debut with a 77th-minute strike.

“Some decisions went against us. The sending off and penalties were very, very harsh I felt,” Rodgers said.

“We will have more days like this along the way, that is the reality, but I could not ask any more from the players.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger saw his Gunners team fail to break down Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium in the first game since Dutch striker Van Persie’s £24 million move to Manchester United.

Wenger gave debuts to Germany striker Lukas Podolski and Spain midfielder Santi Cazorla, while French forward Olivier Giroud, another new signing, came off the bench.

But the new boys were underwhelming, with Giroud missing the best chance of the afternoon.

“Playing three strikers didn’t work. We had no space, and the passing was not quick enough so it was difficult for them,” Wenger said.

“But it’s one game and it’s too early to be able to draw definitive conclusions.”

New Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas suffered a losing start as Newcastle won 2-1 at St James’ Park in the day’s late game.

Villas-Boas, sacked by Chelsea last season, saw Newcastle take the lead through Demba Ba’s superb 54th-minute goal.

Jermain Defoe equalised with a close-range effort in the 76th minute, but Hatem Ben Arfa was hauled down by Aaron Lennon four minutes later and the French midfielder picked himself up to score the spot-kick.

West Ham enjoyed a winning return to the top flight as Sam Allardyce’s side beat Aston Villa 1-0 at Upton Park in Paul Lambert’s first game as Villa boss.

The Hammers, promoted via the Championship play-offs, took the points when Kevin Nolan sidefooted home in the 40th minute.

Five-star debut

Swansea manager Michael Laudrup savoured a five-star debut as new boy Michu inspired a 5-0 demolition of QPR at Loftus Road.

Michu, signed by Laudrup from Rayo Vallecano for £2 million, took just eight minutes to score and the Spaniard struck again in the 53rd minute.

Nathan Dyer netted in the 63rd and 71st minutes and Scott Sinclair scored in the 81st minute.

Championship winners Reading rescued a 1-1 draw against Stoke at the Madejski Stadium on their return to the Premier League after a four-year absence.

At Craven Cottage, Fulham striker Mladen Petric showed there is life without Clint Dempsey as his debut double clinched a 5-0 win over Norwich.

With American forward Clint Dempsey reportedly on strike after his fall-out with the club over his desire to join Liverpool, Damien Duff set the ball rolling with the first goal in the 26th minute.

Petric, signed from Hamburg, increased the Cottagers’ lead four minutes before half-time and he netted again with a deflected 54th minute strike.

Alex Kacaniklic struck in the 66th minute and Steve Sidwell’s 87th minute penalty completed the rout.

Today, champions Manchester City host Southampton and Champions League winners Chelsea play at Wigan.

Everton entertain Manchester United tomorrow.

Results

Premier league

Arsenal 0
Sunderland 0

Att: 60,078.

Fulham 5
Duff 26; Petric 41, 54; Kacaniklic 66; Sidwell 87 pen;
Norwich City 0

HT: 2-0. Att: 25,062.

Newcastle 2
Ba 54; Ben Arfa 80 pen;
Tottenham 1
Defoe 76;

HT: 0-0. Att: 52,385.

QPR 0
Swansea City 5
Michu 8, 53; Dyer 63, 71; Sinclair 81;

HT: 0-1. Att: 18,072.

Reading 1
Le Fondre 90 pen;
Stoke 1
Kightly 34;

HT: 0-1. Att: 23,973.
Red card: Whitehead (S) 89.

West Brom 3
Gera 43; Odemwingie 64 pen; Lukaku 77;
Liverpool 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 26,039.
Missed penalty: Long (WBA) 60.
Red card: Agger (L) 58.

West Ham 1
Nolan 40;
Aston Villa 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 34,172.

Today
Man. City vs Southampton - 17.00
Wigan vs Chelsea - 14:30

Tomorrow
Everton vs Man. United - 21:00

Next fixtures
Wednesday: 20.45 Chelsea vs Reading.
Saturday: 13.45 Swansea vs West Ham. 16.00 Aston Villa vs Everton; Man. United vs Fulham; Norwich vs QPR; Southampton vs Wigan; Sunderland vs Reading; Tottenham vs West Brom. 18.30 Chelsea vs Newcastle.
Sunday: 13.30 Stoke vs Arsenal; 17.00 Liverpool vs Man. City.

The Championship
Barnsley 1 - M’Boro 0
Birmingham 0 - Charlton 1
Burnley 2 - Bolton 0
C. Palace 2 - Watford 3
Derby 2 - Sheffield Wed. 2
Hull City 1 - Brighton 0
Ipswich 1 - Blackburn 1
Leeds 1 - Wolves 0
Leicester 2 - Peterborough 0
Millwall 0 - Blackpool 2
N. Forest 1 - Bristol City 0

League One
Bury 0 - Brentford 0
Crawley 3 - Scunthorpe 0
Crewe 1 - Notts County 2
Hartlepool 0 - Swindon0
MK Dons 2 - Oldham 0
Portsmouth 1 - Bournemouth 1
Preston 0 - Colchester 0
Sheff. United 1 - Shrewsbury 0
Stevenage 1 - Carlisle1
Tranmere 3 - L. Orient 1
Walsall 0 - Doncaster 3
Yeovil 1 - Coventry 1

League Two
Wimbledon 1 - Chesterfield 0
Bristol R. 0 - Oxford2
Cheltenham 2 - Dagenham 0
Exeter 0 - Morecambe 3
Fleetwood 0 - Torquay0
Gillingham 3 - Bradford City1
Plymouth 0 - Aldershot 2
Port Vale 3 - Barnet 0
Rochdale 0 - Northampton 0
Rotherham 3 - Burton 0
Southend 0 - Accrington 1
York City 1 - Wycombe 3

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